West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-10-21

ard Oil, the Cotton Seed Oil Trust
the Whiskey pool and similar organ
izations whereby vast capital is con-
centrated to fleece the public, indI-
vidual enterprise, except in agricul-
ture. has almost become thing of
the past, and agriculture grows less
remunerative every year. The he
publican politicians are in close al
filiation with these influences and
the Democratic politicians stand
panic stricken before them. Our
public men feel that these vast ag-
gregations of capital can, at any mo-
ment, dictate the utterances OF the
newspaper press and control the IN
struments that heretofore have
moulded public opinion. Hence
there is an understanding among
the politicians, that if one party an
tagonizes the schemes for plumber,
the other party will be backed
and banked, by the. milliOnaires of
the tariff and of the railroads.
1t is we'll to look this matter
square in the face. There is yet
time, before the struggle in 1888,
for our party to place itself in line
with the popular heart. We cannot
win by secretly promising to deliv-
err this country to the class repre-
sented by Jay Gould. The pOliti-
clans, now in possession Of the hon
ors and profits of official life, are apt
to mistake their own desires for the
desires of the people, but the body
of the people are thinking only of
how they can enact and enforce laws
to check the growth of monopoly
and to thwart the schemes to plum
der them; whereas the politicians
think only of their own reflections.
Hence there is unrest in both par
ties. Disguise it as me may, the in
dependent movement, and the start
ing of new parties is simply an eff
fort by the rank and file to find lead
ers who are not the decoy ducks OF
the Jay Gould class. 1t has become
generally known that the politicians,
after writing platforms promising a
railway commission, have secretly
solicited the railroad managers for
money to buy votes, and. after
adopting resolutions pledging them
selves to reform the tariff, have ask
ell the millionaire benefciaries OF
the tax to provide campaign fund.
Facts like these have destroyed con
fidence in the leaders of both par
ties.
The money power believes in a
government of force; it believes in
a government by wealth and for
wealth. The money power is in
stinctively Republican and against
every doctrine Of the true Demo
cratic creed. a Republican has in
his hands the entire telegraph sys-
TEN; the b. & o., the G. & O., the
Pa. system, the Vanderbilt roads,
the Pacific lineS,-in fact the entire
inside management of the rail
roads is Republican and against
Democratic ideas. SO long as our
party keeps in front men who re
fuse TO act aggreSSively in behalf Of
public right, the money power may
pretend neutrality, but its sympa
thies and wishes are against us, and
the moment we develop u hXed pur-
pose to enforce the principles we
profess, it will throw off all disguise
AMI make common cause with the
Republicans.
But can we win in IS by cOntinu-
ing the policy Of trucking to the
Jay Gould class: Can we succeed
with leaders who are false both to
Gould ard to the people? Will the
rank and file longer follow men who
are silent and evade responsibility
whenever and wherever fight is
made for the general interest against
some influential private interest? 1t
is a disagreeable task to publish
unpleasant truths, and it is gener-
ally as Improbable as disagreeable,
but the writer has informed himself
of the proportions Of the George
movement in New York; it is far,
very far more formidable than those
who have not looked into it will be
lieye; the George movement is q